When you think of Texas and the energy resources it possesses, the first image that might come to your mind is an oil derrick.

This is perfectly reasonable — Texas produces the most crude oil in the United States and more than twice as much as California. But oil isn’t the only energy resource Texas produces in large volumes.

In fact, Texas also leads the U.S. in wind power production. And business is booming for the companies and communities in the Texas panhandle wind corridor. Many farmers and ranchers love wind because when they allow the turbines on their land, the operators can pay landowners leasing fees and even a small percentage of revenues. A report released this week noted that wind power represented 7.8% of total electricity production for most electricity consumers in Texas last year. This is up from 4.9% in 2008 — a huge increase.